


Raised By Lions

by Eastofthemoon



Series: Raised By Lions [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Brotherly Love, Family, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-17 01:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9298325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: The Galaxy Garrison ask Shiro to speak with 11 year old Keith who they believe has dangerous knowledge.  As Shiro becomes attached to the kid, he has no idea just exactly what kind of trouble the boy has gotten himself into.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is an AU idea that wouldn't leave my head until I wrote it down. It's possible I'll write follow up snippets to this fic, but I wanted to wait and see season 2 before I write more to see if it will inspire more ideas for this.
> 
> So, hope you all enjoy this!

“Keep up, Shirogane,” Commander Iverson commanded as he opened the door with his I.D. card. “We don’t have all day.”

Shiro didn’t argue as he caught up and gave a quick nod. “Yes, Sir.”

Iverson was silent as he lead the way and folded his hands behind his back. “Now, as we enter, I will remind you that what you see here is strictly confidential and must not be repeated to anyone.”

Shiro gave a nod, although he was still confused on why exactly he was doing here. He was top of his senior class, and it wasn’t rare for some of the officers to select him for special assignments the other students didn’t receive. However, they were usually about being invited to discussions about latest missions in space or possible new equipment for experiments.

Shiro didn’t feel the vibe for any of that here. All he knew was that Iverson asked Shiro to come along with him, and they went to a section of the base that Shiro was certain was off limits to regular students. He couldn’t deny it was unsettling his nerves a bit.

They paused as they came to a large window and Iverson pointed inside. “Take a look inside, Shirogane,” he ordered. “This window is one way so we can see inside, but the people inside can’t see us.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow, but did as he was told. He had expected to see other members of the Garrison or a scientist or perhaps equipment even. What Shiro didn’t expect to see was a boy that kept swinging his legs over his seat as he sat at a table like he was bored to death.

Shiro looked back to Iverson with his mouth slightly opened. “Sir?”

“That is Keith Kogane,” Iverson stated flatly. “Age 11, an orphan who ran away from his foster home over two months ago.”

Shiro frowned and glanced to the kid. He spotted a few bandaids on his legs and arms, and he seemed a bit thinner than a boy his age should be. He felt concerned for the kid, but that still didn’t explain why Keith was here.

“Since when does the Garrison take in kids?” Shiro asked.

“We don’t,” Iverson said, “however we have reason to believe the boy here discovered a highly dangerous weapon, but he refuses to tell us exactly where or what it is.”

Shiro’s eyes widened as he pointed to the boy. “THAT kid?” he asked stunned and ran a hand through his hair. “How does that happen?”

Shiro could only assume the weapon had to be dangerous if the Garrison was getting involved, but it seemed unbelievable a mere child had a connection to that kind of thing. Was it possible they were just being paranoid?

“We’re not certain how, but we believe he stumbled upon it after he ran away from the foster home,” Iverson explained.

“How does a kid just stumble across a weapon?” Shiro asked. It wasn’t exactly something a person left lying around and then a question struck him. “Just exactly what kind of ‘weapon’ are we talking about here?”

Iverson went silent and narrowed his eyes. “That’s classified.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look,” Iverson replied, sternly. “This...machine is not something the general public should be aware off and we need to keep it under a tight lid as much as possible.”

Shiro still seemed doubtful, but shook his head. “Okay, fine, but why bring me here?” 

“You’re good with children,” Iverson said. 

“Plenty of other officers older than me are,” Shiro replied, curtly. 

Several officers were parents and use to dealing with their own children. Surely they would be better picks for this. 

“Tried a few, but Keith refused to speak to any of them,” Iverson replied. “Thus, we thought an officer closer to his age would relax him enough to tell us what we need to know.”

 _The kid is like 11,_ Shiro thought. _I’m almost 21, I’m hardly close to his age range._

He frowned as he looked back through the window at the bored scowling boy. Was it truly possible this kid found something the Garrison itself couldn’t find with all of their high tech gear?

“Question,” Shiro said slowly. “You won’t tell me what exactly this ‘weapon’ is, so then how do you expect me to ask him about it?”

“Just talk to him naturally and further inquire anything he says that seems suspicious,” Iverson explained. “Besides, we will be monitoring everything you say in there and we shall determine what information applies to us and what doesn’t.”

 _Isn’t that nice and complicated,_ Shiro thought grimly, but said nothing as he nodded. He didn’t have a choice with it being an order from his commanding officer. 

“I’ll do my best, Sir,” Shiro replied, firmly. _And maybe I can help the kid by talking to him. Poor Kid probably wants out of this place as soon as possible._

Shiro gave a salute as Iverson stepped aside and unlocked the door to let Shiro in. Keith instantly raised his head and stood straight up as Shiro entered. The kid silently glared at him like he was expecting Shiro to attack.

To ease his fears, Shiro offered a friendly smile as he waved and pulled up a chair at the table. “Hi, I’m Takashi Shirogane,” he said as he sat. “And you’re, Keith, right?”

Keith said nothing as he folded his arms and stared at him. 

Shiro wasn’t deterred and continued to talk. “So, how old you? I’m guessing 11, but sometimes I don’t-”

“I’m not telling you anything,” Keith interjected.

Shiro paused and looked back at the boy. “About what?” he asked, gently.

Keith sighed and let his shoulders slump causing him to briefly look more like an old man than a child. 

“Look, I know they put you in here to ask me dumb stuff,” Keith said as he crossed his arms, “but, like I told the others, I don’t know anything and even if I did I wouldn’t tell you.”

Shiro narrowed his eyes as he pictured on how many adults have probably tried to sweet talk or intimidate Keith into talking by this point. Shiro straightened his posture as he reached into his pocket and brought out the deck of playing cards he often kept on him in case of boredom.

Keith blinked curiously as he watched Shiro shuffle the deck and then divide the cards between them.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked.

“Since you don’t want to talk,” Shiro said as he set the rest of the deck between them and fanned out his hand. “I thought we play some go fish.” He gave a shrug. “Although, if you don’t want to play, I can just play solitaire instead.” 

Keith frowned as he looked to the deck and fingered the cards. “I’ve... never played go fish.”

Shiro was slightly surprised to hear that, but he didn’t show it. Instead he set down his own hand and picked up Keith’s cards to place them in his hands. “I’ll teach you, then, okay?” He offered a smile. “Don’t worry, it’s easy.”

Keith still looked suspicious, but allowed Shiro to arrange the cards in his hand. 

“Alright, so let’s start,” Shiro said as he began to explain the rules. 

They played for the next hour or so, with Shiro making no attempt to ask Keith about this ‘weapon’ he was suppose to know about. Rather, Shiro asked what Keith’s favorite games were and what he like to eat, making a private note to sneak some treats in for the kid.

They continued to play the game until Iverson and another officer said it was time for Shiro to go and for Keith to be taken back to his quarters.

“Looks like I have to go,” Shiro said as he rose and put the cards back into his pocket and gave a small wave. “See you later, Keith.”

The boy said nothing as he kept his frown, but Shiro did see him attempt a small goodbye.

Iverson had Shiro follow him to his office, and didn’t say a word until the man had shut the door behind him. Shiro wasn’t startled or surprised by the scowl that followed. 

“You didn’t ask him anything,” Iverson growled.

“Because it was clear he wouldn’t tell me,” Shiro replied, firmly. “Sir, you don’t have a grown man in there, you got a kid.” He crossed his arms. “A kid who is more likely terrified that a bunch of strangers keep trying to force him to talk when he doesn’t want to.”

Iverson kept his scowl as he narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t change the fact that he is a child who has knowledge that could be deadly if fallen into the wrong hands.”

 _Really wish you tell me what kind of ‘knowledge’ he’s suppose to know about,_ Shiro thought silently. 

“I know, Sir,” he continued, “which is why I’m letting Keith get to know me first. He’s more likely to tell me whatever he knows if I can earn his trust.”

“And you’re doing this by playing with him?” Iverson asked, doubtfully.

“Yes, Sir. Playing and treating kids like a regular person is often more effective than yelling at them.”

Iverson glared at him, but then shook his head. “Very well, we’ll do it your way for now,” he said and shook a finger in his face. “But we need results, Shiro. This is an issue of global importance.”

Shiro gave a nod before Iverson excused him to exit his office.

 _Global importance?_ Shiro thought as he thought about the small boy he just say. _Keith, just what exactly did you find?_

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“You like chocolate?” Shiro asked as he held out the candy bar.

Keith blinked like he was judging if it was a trick. “Did..they let you bring that in?”

Shiro shrugged. “Not officially, but I figured they weren’t giving you many treats in here,” he said. “If you don’t like chocolate, I can try bringing you in something different.”

Keith frowned causing Shiro to think he was going to reject the offer, but soon the boy gingerly reached out and took the candy. 

“Um..thanks,” he said and nibbled at the chocolate. “I..honestly think you’re the first adult to offer me candy.”

Shiro frowned at that. “What do you mean?”

Keith swallowed. “The foster parents I had never bothered to give me candy,” he said and then paused. “Well, one of them offered me some old toffee candy, but it didn’t taste very good.”

 _Mental note,_ Shiro thought, _get the kid more candy._

He then reached into his bag that Iverson had peeked in to inspect before allowing Shiro into the room, and brought out the small windup robot toy he had brought with him.

Keith ceased his chewing and tilted his head. ‘What is that?”

“A little gift,” Shiro said as he wound up the small robot. “Watch.”

He carefully held the wound up key until the robot was placed back on the table and set him free. The robot beeped and waved it’s arms madly as it waddled back and forth over the table. 

Keith gave a small chuckle as he watched the robot. “That has to be the silliest robot I’ve ever seen.”

Shiro smiled and tried to resist the temptation to mention aloud he finally got Keith to smile. Today was the fourth day in a row of his talks with Keith. They had spent most of the time playing card games, but today Shiro thought he would shake things up a bit.

The robot was a cheap toy he had picked up last night. It wasn’t much, but Shiro thought Keith would be a little amused by it

Beside, the kid deserved to spoiled a little. The two of them watched as the toy robot wind down until it stopped completely. Keith gently picked it up to look it over.

“You like robots?” Shiro asked.

“I’ve never given them much though,” Keith said as he fiddled with the robot’s arms, “but I’ve liked them a lot more recently.”

“Oh? How come?” Shiro asked, curiously.

Keith paused and chewed his bottom lip. “Just...because of a friend of mine.”

Shiro frowned at the phrasing and he heard a bang on the window, which he knew was from Iverson signaling him to question further. 

_I must have struck something,_ Shiro thought, grimly. He didn’t want to push Keith, but if Iverson was right, Keith could be in a threatening situation without realizing it. Shiro had to make certain.

“What’s your friend like?” Shiro asked, believing it was a fair enough question.

Keith gave a scoff. “Grouchy sometimes,” he muttered, “and way over protective.”

“What do you mean?” Shiro asked concerned. 

“She just doesn’t like it when I go off on my own,” Keith said with a pout. “She treats me like a kid.”

“You are a kid,” Shiro said as he leaned forward. “Keith, you probably know why you’re here, right?”

Keith winced and looked up. “Do YOU know why I’m here?”

“I have a rough idea,” Shiro said, “but, honestly, I don’t care about that part.”

“You don’t?” Keith said in disbelief. “Then can you tell those other dumb officers to let me go?”

Shiro sighed. “Wish I could, but I don’t have the power to do so.” 

_Not to mention, you’re a kid and need someone to take care of you,_ Shiro thought.

He touched Keith’s shoulder. “With that said, if you’re in trouble, I want to help you.”

Shiro meant it too. Keith was a good kid. Sure, he was a little rough around the edges, but Shiro could tell he had a good heart deep down.

Keith frowned as he studied Shiro’s face. “I’m not in trouble.”

“The Garrison seems to assume otherwise,” Shiro argued.

“That’s because they’re stupid and don’t understand anything,” Keith grumbled as he placed the robot on the table. 

“Well, can you help them understand?” Shiro asked. “Maybe if you talk-”

“I’m not ratting on-” Keith cut himself off and shook his head. “Look, they just wouldn’t understand, okay? And I’m not betraying my friend.”

Shiro went silent, pondering on who exactly this ‘friend’ was? Was she connected to that weapon somehow?

Keith then looked up to Shiro, his eyes looking a bit more vulnerable than probably the kid had realized. “Shiro, can we talk about anything else? Please?”

Shiro knew Iverson would yell at him for not pursuing the topic more, but it was worth it to keep Keith’s trust. He said nothing as he reached into his bag and brought out a comic book.

“Ever read Superman?” Shiro asked with a small smile. “Was my favorite as a kid...well, next to Batman.”

Keith blinked, looking genuinely surprised that Shiro did as requested, but then took the comic. “I heard other kids talk about him, but never read him,” Keith replied as he took the comic. “Is it..any good?”

“Let’s read it together and find out,” Shiro said as he flipped to the first page, while at the back of his mind Shiro was sensing he was beginning to get more and more attached to this kid.

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Iverson was getting annoyed, Shiro could tell. It had almost been two weeks now and Keith hadn’t spoken enough of the information they desired. However, they still allowed Shiro talks with Keith since he was currently the only adult the boy would openly speak to.

With that said, Shiro had learned a few things about Keith. 

Number one, he was a serious, but kind boy. The kid liked small animals and confessed he had tried to sneak in a an injured squirrel, but his foster parent at the time made him get rid of it. 

Number two, Keith also had a terrible sweet tooth. He refused to admit it, but Keith couldn’t hide the glimmer of hope in his eyes everyday when Shiro would reach into his pocket for a candy bar.

Number 3, Keith also wanted to learn how to use a sword thanks to the only fantasy book he owned and read over and over. This came up when Shiro mentioned the one fencing class he took when he was 14.

Number 4, Keith liked to doodle. This Shiro discovered when he had brought in a notebook and a pencil to play a game of hangman. Within minutes, Keith was more focussed on doodling rather than playing the game.

By the end of the two week, Shiro was certain that Keith was a good kid and that there was no way he could leave him alone at this point. Of course, problem was that the Garrison refused to let Keith go until they finally heard what they wanted.

Shiro knew their patience was wearing thin and he was a afraid that it wouldn’t be long before they cancelled his visits to Keith altogether in order to try another method. Shiro didn’t like this whole situation, but he wasn’t sure how he could change it.

Shiro was still pondering it as he brought in a portable chess game at the table. “Thought we play a new game today,” he said as he set up the board. “Ever play chess before?”

Keith didn’t say anything and appeared to be in deep thought as he drummed his fingers on the table.

Shiro frowned and leaned over. “Something wrong?” he asked. 

Keith took in a deep sigh as he looked up. “Shiro, I like you. You’re probably the first adult I met who I don’t hate.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Shiro said with a small grin.

“With that said,” Keith said as he chewed his lower lip, “you guys have got to let me go.”

Shiro’s smile dropped to a frown. “Wish I could, Buddy, but it’s not that simple.” 

He pointed over his shoulder. “The Garrison are convinced you found something they need to find.” Shiro then placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “And even if that wasn’t the issue, they can’t let you go until they find someone to take care of you.”

Honestly, Shiro was considering to take Keith in himself at this point. He was beginning to think of Keith like the little brother he never had. Although the social workers would argue he was too young. Maybe Shiro could convinced his parents-

“But that’s just it,” Keith said with a frown. “I have someone to take care of me and she’s is getting annoyed you guys haven’t let me go yet.”

Shiro blinked. Keith had someone? How did the Garrison not know this? Wait, how did Keith contact her? As far as Shiro knew, the officers were watching Keith like a hawk and hadn’t let anyone else outside the Garrison speak to him.

“What’s her name?” Shiro asked as his mind tried to puzzle it out.

“Red,” Keith said, simply.

“Red?” Shiro said with an raised eyebrow. “That’s...different.”

“It’s what she tends to go by,” Keith explained, “and she has a bit of a temper. She’s told me to tell you guys that if I don’t get back to her soon, then she is going to come get me herself.”

Shiro blinked and tilted his head. “And how did she tell you this? Did the Garrison let her call you?”

Keith opened and shut his mouth. “No, Red and I…” he rubbed his neck. “It’s hard to explain, but point is I trust her, and I don’t want you getting hurt when she comes to get me.”

Now Shiro felt even more confused. “Keith, what exactly do you mean-”

The door slammed opened as Iverson marched in. “Alright, enough is enough!” he barked as he stormed over and grabbed Keith by the arm. 

“Who are you speaking to and how?!” Iverson hollered in Keith’s face. “Is it the person that made the ship?! SPEAK BOY! NO MORE GAMES!”

Keith snarled as he attempted to yank Iverson’s hand off. “Let go! You’re hurting me!”

Those words caused Shiro to spring from his seat. “Sir, stop this now!” Shiro called as he rushed over and shoved Iverson off of Keith. He wrapped a protective arm around the boy as Iverson stumbled backwards into the wall.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Shiro called, not caring he was yelling at his superior officer. “He’s just a kid!”

Iverson grunted as he regained his composure and shook his head. “Shirogane, you don’t understand-”

“What’s there to understand?” Shiro spat as he pushed Keith behind him. “He’s a child! I don’t care what he knows, you can’t treat him like he’s a criminal!”

“He’s not a normal child!” Iverson exclaimed. “If you saw what this boy has control over, you wouldn’t argue-”

A rumble suddenly cut him off. The walls shook as Shiro heard something that almost sounded like a roar. Was it..some kind of earthquake?

Keith moaned as he rubbed his face. “Arrgh, I knew it.”

Shiro frowned. Was this connected to Keith? “What do you mean-”

A rumble was heard as the ceiling begin to shake. Shiro grabbed Keith to shield him as he expected the roof to fall, except it didn’t. Instead a giant hole was torn through and Shiro swore he saw giant claws peek through.

“It’s coming!” Iverson yelled as he stared in shock.

“What’s coming?!” Shiro yelled as he hugged Keith close.

“No time,” Iverson said as he reached for Keith. “We need to get-”

A giant paw reached in and knocked Iverson away from Shiro and Keith. Shiro watched helplessly as Iverson slammed against the wall and collapse to the ground.

“Sir!” Shiro cried and went to rush over to him, but Keith tugged his sleeve.

“Don’t worry, he’s okay,” Keith reassured. “Red hit him enough to knock out. He’ll be sore, but he’s not going to die.”

Shiro frowned. “Red? Keith what are you talking about?”

All questions were forgotten as the paw pulled apart the hole until it nearly the whole roof was gone. A head of a giant red robot lion poked her head inside. Shiro’s legs shook as he tried to keep Keith close to him.

“What in the world?” he breathed.

However, Ketih wasn’t scared as he squirmed out of Shiro’s hold. “Shiro, this is Red!” he said as he pointed to the lion.

Shiro’s jaw dropped as he felt the giant lion’s eyes locking onto him. This was Red?! How?! Is THIS what the Garrison had been after this whole time?

The lion’s eyes narrowed like it was judging whether to swat Shiro away like it did Iverson.

“Red, no, he’s my friend!” Keith said as he stood protectively in front of Shiro. “He won’t hurt me.”

 _He’s concerned about ME?!_ Shiro thought in disbelief.

Keith then looked up to Red and watched the boy give a nod. “Yeah, I know, just give me a sec.”

The lion gave a soft growl as she furthered lowered her head into the room. 

“What’s it doing?” Shiro demanded as he got ready to scoop up Keith and run.

“Shiro, listen,” Keith said as he looked up. “I can’t stay. Red says we have to go now.”

“Go?” Shiro replied, feeling dazed like he was in the middle of a dream. “Go where?”

“Not quite sure, but I can’t stay here,” Keith as Red lowered her head and opened her mouth. “But don’t worry, I’ll be okay.” He gave a smile as he turned to walk directly into the lion’s mouth. “Promise.”

“Keith! No-WAIT!” Shiro cried as he reached out to the boy, but Red’s mouth clamped shut. He growled back as he pounded at the mouth with his fists to get it to open, but Red didn’t budge.

As fast as she came, Red pulled her head back through the hole and launched out into the sky. Shiro dropped to his knees helplessly as the robot flew until it was nothing more than a dot in the sky.

“Keith,” Shiro muttered as he heard the yells of other officers rushing into the room.

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The next week became a blur. After giving his statement of ‘Yes, a giant lion broke, stole a kid and I couldn’t do a thing to stop it’ and then swearing to never speak of it again, Shiro debated on what to do. 

He wanted to find Keith, to make certain he was alright and that the giant lion hadn’t hurt him. Granted, Keith seemed certain Red was a friend, but he was just 11. For all Shiro knew the thing was using him.

However, as much as Shiro wanted to find Keith, he had no idea where to start searching. Iverson had taken Shiro aside and told him they searched everywhere on Earth, but found no sightings of the Red Lion.

“It’s possible they flew up into space or evaporated, I don’t know,” Iverson said as he patted Shiro’s arm. “There’s no way to track or find them...I’m sorry. I knew you got attached to the kid.”

Shiro’s fists had tightened, but he could only nod in silent reply. He tried to move on with his life. Put all of his focussed on training and improving himself so something like that wouldn’t happen to him again. He vowed no one would get kidnapped on his watch again.

Still, Shiro spent the next three years wondering what happened to the small boy. He lost count on how many times he checked the skies for any sightings and even checked the reports from satellite orbiting the Earth, but it always turned out the same. Shiro found nothing. His thoughts would always linger with worry if Keith was doing alright or if something horrible had happened to him.

His worries continued when he accepted a mission to go to Kerberos and a small part of him hope that maybe, somehow he would finally get a clue to where Keith was. 

But then, those thoughts came to a halt when he and his crew landed on Kerberos. Like something out of a bad science fiction movie, Shiro was captured by aliens. They called themselves the Galra and their empire was lead by their tyrant leader Emperor Zarkon. The soldiers roared questions at him, and the scientists Sam and Matt Holt about a hidden weapon. 

They mentioned the name Voltron several times, and demanded to know if one of the pieces was still on their planet.

The image of Red flashed through his mind briefly, but Shiro made certain to keep his mouth about it. He prayed it wasn’t what these aliens were looking for, but if it was, it gave Shiro all the more reason to remain silent.

Thankfully, the Galra came to the conclusion the weapon they were looking was long gone and they were nothing more than a primitive species that knew nothing about it. Shiro held a glimmer of hope they would be released, but to his horror they were instead made into slaves to serve the empire.

Sam was taken to a work camp, and he and Matt were chosen to fight in the ring. Shiro thought of his vow again, and injured Matt so at least he could escape this fate. It worked, and Matt was taken away, but he didn’t know where. Shiro went into the ring expecting to be his last day among the living. Yet, somehow inside him gave Shiro the drive he needed to survive. He managed to beat the champion and take his place.

Yet, shortly after as he was made to fight every single day, Shiro wondered if death would have been a far kinder fate.

The next year of his life, Shiro could barely think nothing but of fights and trying to survive in the ring. He should have been killed, but he won again and again.  
They started to call him the Champion. He learned he was becoming famous outside the ring. According to the guards, many had been astonished that despite their looks humans were actually strong fighters.

“They should collect more of you to fight,” one had sneered in Shiro’s face as he was tossed back into his cell. “It would be amusing to say the least!”

Shiro didn’t care. He wanted to punch the smiles off their faces. He wanted to break out, but tried as he might, Shiro was too heavily guarded. There was no escape route he could find. He was trapped like an animal.

It didn’t take long to forget what the date even was. Shiro craved to escape, but he didn’t know how and then he had the unfortunate luck of catching the eye of Haggar, Zarkon’s close confidant. 

He was transported from the ring to her laboratory on another planet. Shiro could barely remember the ordeal, but he knew he was strapped to the table and a sharp needle put him to sleep. The only other certainty he had was when he awoke to discover she had removed his human arm and replaced it with a cybernetic one.

Haggar had laughed and congratulated him as if it was the highest praise one could receive from her. Shiro couldn’t speak as he was dragged away and stared at his new arm. His mind continued to remain blank as he was put onto a transport ship. He sat in his cell as the ship flew to take him back to the ring.

He flexed his metal fingers and he shut his eyes. “It’s real, it’s not going away,” he whispered as he buried his face with his human hand. “How did this happened?”

Shiro raised his head to stare at the wall. “How did I let this happened?” he said.

A loud boom suddenly shook the ship. Shiro leapt to his feet as he heard several guards run by his cell. He tried to look through the small window, and tapped the glass to catch the attention of the robot sentry keeping guard.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Shiro tried to asked it, but it continued to ignore him.

Another boom came and this one nearly knocked Shiro off his feet. “Is something attacking the ship?!” he exclaimed.

“HALT!” the sentry guard suddenly cried as it lifted it’s blaster. Shiro whirled back to the window, half expecting for the blaster to be pointed at him, but to his shock the robot was pointing at something down the hall.

“YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS HERE!” it cried and Shiro caught an image of something rushing to it. “YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!”

The sentry fired, but the figured duck and brought out a long sword. Before Shiro could blink the figured stabbed the sentry in the chest. Sparks flew as the intruder tugged the sword out and the robot dropped to the ground like a doll.

The intruder paused as he checked over the robot and Shiro gained a closer look. The intruder wore a helmet with a visor that masked it’s face. It also wore a Galran style space suit, but judging by how baggy it was on the intruder, Shiro suspected it was stolen. He noticed the stranger also had a large bag strapped to its’ back with something bulging from it.

Then the masked intruder turned its’ attention onto Shiro’s door. On instinct, Shiro took a step back, but the intruder didn’t attack. To Shiro’s confusion, the stranger used their sword to cut off the sentry’s arm and held it up to the lock. The door flew opened and Shiro got into a fight stance as it entered, and tucked the arm into the bag.

“Okay, who are you?!” Shiro said as he prepared for a fight and the intruder stepped closer. “I don’t know what you want with me, but I’m not going anywhere-”

“Shiro?” the stranger gasped in what sounded like a very young male voice. “Wait, YOU’RE THE CHAMPION?!”

Shiro froze, as he lowered his arms slightly. “You..you know my name?”

The intruder took a staggered step forward making it glaringly obvious on how much taller Shiro was. 

“Never mind that now,” the intruder replied as he removed the bag and brought out a suit that matched the one he was currently wearing. “Put this on, we need to go! It should fit-”

The intruder cut himself off as he shook his head. “I’m going as fast as I can! We’ll be there in a sec!”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “Um...I didn’t say anything.”

“What? No, not you,” the stranger replied and sighed. “Look, we got to go, NOW!”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed as he loomed over the stranger. “Give me one reason why I should trust you?!”

For all Shiro knew, this alien was just planning on selling him for some kind of exotic zoo or something.

The stranger paused and then with a sharp click hit a button on his helmet that lifted the visor. A young face stared at him. A young HUMAN face stared back at him. Shiro blinked stunned as he caught wisps of black hair peeking out from under the helmet. A voice from the back of his mind insisted he’d seen this face before, but Shiro wasn’t certain where.

“Y-you’re human?” Shiro gasped.

“Yeah, no time to chat,” the boy said as he shoved the suit in his arms and the visor covered his face again. “Get dressed already! She can only keep them distracted for so long.”

A million questions zoomed through Shiro’s head, but he tossed them aside as he hastily stepped into the suit. He had no idea how this boy had gotten here or why he was here, but in some miracle he was Shiro’s best chance for an escape.

The suit itself was a bit bulky, clearly not built for a human body, but Shiro didn’t care as he slipped the helmet over his head and gave a yelp as the boy yanked him out of the cell.

“Head down the hall, and then to the left,” the boy instructed as he took out his sword. “Stay close to me, we can’t afford to lose each other-”

“HALT!” Galran soldiers shouted as they rushed towards them, while firing their blasters.

Shiro ducked as he and the boy turned the corner. “Run and don’t stop!” the boy ordered as he lead the way. Shiro did as he was told as he followed the boy. He felt his cybernetic arm heat up as his adrenaline poured through him, but he didn’t have time to ponder on the meaning.

Then, they had the luck of a sentry droid appearing before them ready to strike. However, Shiro’s instincts from the fighting ring kicked in. He shoved the boy behind him, tackled the droid head on and yanked the blaster from it’s hands before tossing it over his shoulder.

“Get down!” Shiro cried as the sentry flew.

The boy instantly kneeled as the droid flew and collided into the soldiers giving chase. The boy paused briefly, as if amazed by the act before he picked up his pace and caught up to Shiro.

“Man, you got a lot stronger,” the boy commented.

Shiro wasn’t certain what he meant by that, and forgot it as the boy made the left turn and Shiro followed. To his horror they ended up in a small chamber with nowhere to run. More soldiers were heading towards them, but there was no time to run as the boy used the droid’s arm he stole earlier to activate a button. A door slammed shut with a heavy thud and trapped them inside with the soldiers firing against the door.

“What are you doing?!” Shiro asked as he held the boy by the shoulders. “We’re trapped in here.”

“No, we’re not,” the boy retorted as he shrugged off Shiro’s arm and raced to the other door. “We’re just in an air lock.”

“An air lock?” Shiro muttered. “What good will that-”

Shiro dropped his question as the boy lifted the droid’s arm to what he certain was the release button to the outside… of space. 

_Oh, no,_ Shiro thought as he rushed over to stop him. “Wait, don’t-”

It was too late. The button was hit and the airlock opened. The vacuum of space took over and attempted to suck them out. Shiro grabbed the boy and tried to use his cybernetic arm to dig his fingers into the floor. At least his new arm was good for something!

“No! Shiro, Let go!” the boy cried as he climbed down Shiro’s arm and tried to pry his fingers open. “Trust me! It will be okay!”

Shiro didn’t listen and continued to keep his grip, but the force of the vacuum was too strong as the floor began to tear.

“Brace yourself!” the boy cried as the floor suddenly snapped as both humans were yanked into space.

Shiro yelled as he somehow managed to keep his hold on the boy while they tumbled in space. There was nothing he could do. They continued to roll together with nothing to catch them or stop them. Shiro was certain all was lost. 

Until he heard a roar that made his bones rattled.

Shiro looked up to see the same giant robot lion that had taken Keith years ago fly towards them with her jaws opened. Shiro barely blinked before the creature caught them and swallowed them whole.

Shiro and the boy landed on the floor as the lion shut her jaws and he felt gravity come into play again.

Shiro panted as he struggled to sit up, his mind set a fire with questions.

_The Red Lion?! How is it here?! Why is it here?! Wait, where’s Keith?! He should-_

Shiro’s mind stopped dead at the last question and slowly looked over to the boy who was also panting and staggered to his feet.

“Okay, Red,” the boy yelled. “We’re good to go!” He paused and sighed as Shiro climbed to his feet in shock. “Yeah, no, agreed! Better head to the Katerra System for now. They won’t look for us there.”

Shiro felt the robot suddenly make a sharp turn and moved with a jerk, but he remained where he was and stared at the boy who rescued him.

Shiro’s memory wandered back to the small boy he encountered years ago and did the math in his head. He would be about this boy’s age, and he had the similar build...It had to be!

The boy sighed as if he was dealing with a nagging parent. “Yeah, I know, I’ll be right there,” he muttered. “And you’re not going to believe-”

Shiro sprang upon the boy, yanking both of their helmets off. The helmets fell from his hands as he saw long black hair, and a confused face with a pair of serious grey eyes he knew exactly where he’s seen before.

“Keith?” Shiro said as he grappled him by the shoulders. “It’s you, right?! It’s really you?”

The boy swallowed and gave a small nod. “Yeah..it’s me,” he said with a small smile. “Good to see you, Shiro.”

Shiro’s felt his eyes watered as he engulfed Keith into a tight hug. The boy squirmed for a minute, but when it was clear Shiro wasn’t going to let go, Keith stopped and returned the hug.

Shiro gave a small laugh of relief. Finally, after a year of hell, finally something good happened.

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Shiro had a dozen questions for Keith, but he held them back until they were safely away from the Galra. They eventually landed on a small planet called Ealsia that had a rocky terrain and little plant life. The Red Lion landed outside of what seemed to be a small military base, but judging from the style it wasn’t Galran.

“It’s the remains from a leftover settlement,” Keith explained as he sat in the cockpit chair and brought up the images on the monitor for display. “It’s been deserted for years and the few locals here are on the other side of the planet. Red and I come here when we need to lay low.”

“I see,” Shiro said thoughtfully as he took the suit off. He stared down and grimaced at the slave uniform he was still wearing. “Don’t suppose you have some extra clothes I could change into?”

Keith frowned. “Not in Red, but the base might have something,” he said as he stood. “Let’s go searching.”

“Wait,” Shiro said as he gripped Keith’s arm. “Before that, you got to tell me what’s going on with..this?” he said as he gestured to Red. “What is this?”

Keith rubbed his neck and seemed to be struggling to find the words. “Red here is a sentient robot and I found her.”

Shiro blinked. “How do you stumble across a giant robot lion?”

Keith chewed his bottom lip. “Accidentally?” He ran a hand through his hair as he shut his eyes. “Alright, it’s like this. Red here is one of five robotic lions that when they merge together create this giant robot called Voltron.”

“Voltron?” Shiro muttered and felt something flicker at the back of his brain. “I heard that word, the Galra who captured me kept asking me questions about it.

“It’s a weapon that Zarkon and the Galra have been searching for a long time,” Keith continued.

Shiro winced. He had never seen Zarkon face to face, but he’d seen the emperor on display screens and knew his brutality through the empire he ran.

“He’s not someone you want to get a powerful weapon,” Shiro replied.

“No argument here,” Keith said sourly. “To keep the lions from him, they were hidden among different planets and stayed there. They couldn’t be activated until they each choose a new paladin.”

“Paladin?” Shiro asked with a frown as he suspiciously eyed Red. “And you’re one?”

Keith nodded. “A paladin is basically their pilot or partner...Red had troubling explaining the meaning.” He ran his hand over the top of the pilot seat. “We’re connected, we can hear each other’s thoughts, which I know sounds crazy, but we’re link in a way I..can’t describe.”

Shiro thought back to his talks with Keith back in the Garrison. _If they were linked telepathically that would explain a few things._

“How did you end up as Red’s paladin?” Shiro asked.

Keith gave a small smirk. “When I ran away from the foster home, I went to hide out in these old caves, but the floor gave way and literally fell on her.” He shaped his hands into a small circle. “She had this particle barrier around her that instantly disappeared as soon as I touched it and she caught me. I was lucky I didn’t get any broken bones.”

“Wait, wait,” Shiro said slowly as he rubbed his eyes. “Red choose you to be her pilot? Keith you were only 11.”

Keith gave a wince. “Yeah, see she knew I was ‘the one’ meant for her, and normally she would take me to this place called ‘The Castle of Lions’ to get properly trained.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed. “Trained for what?”

“To be a proper paladin,” Keith explained, “but Red thought I was too young.”

“That’s something we can agree on,” Shiro muttered darkly as he shot a glare at the interior of Red.

“And I didn’t want to go back to the foster home, so I just lived with her,” Keith said with a small grin. “She took care of me and took me flying.” 

His smile dropped. “But the Galaxy Garrison spotted us and while Red got away, they managed to catch me.”

“And were trying to use you to learn about Red,” Shiro muttered.

Shiro had suspected that was the reason all those years ago. A giant flying robot lion would surely catch the interest and alarm of the Galaxy Garrison.

“Red was dying to just yank me out of there,” Keith replied as he folded his arms, “but I thought if I just stayed quiet enough they would let me go eventually.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “You really thought that?” He knew the Garrison’s mentally. They would have hang onto Keith for years if they thought it would get them what they wanted.

“I was 11, Shiro, cut me some slack,” Keith said with a pout. “That was my plan...but then you showed up, and,..besides Red, you were the only other person I felt like I could trust.”

He sighed as he slumped into his seat. “You have no idea how tempted I was to just explain it all to you.”

Shiro’s eyes softened as he kneeled and patted Keith’s head. “I wish you had told me. I wanted to desperately to get you out of there.”

“I know,” Keith said, “I was actually debating that, but Red’s patience was wearing thin and I was afraid of you getting hurt.” He grimaced. “And then-”

“Iverson attacked you and Red felt like she had to bail you out of there,” Shiro concluded. Not that he blamed her. If Red hadn’t suddenly shown up then, Shiro was certain it would have resulted in Shiro having to fight Iverson off.

“Yeah,” Keith said softly and raised his head. “I wanted to go back and tell you I was okay, but Red didn’t think I was safe on Earth anymore.”

Shiro froze at the comment and his lips formed a tight line. “So...she took you off the planet?”

Keith nodded. “We’ve been flying around space until she thought I was old enough to go to the Castle of Lions.”

Shiro’s eye twitched and forced himself to take deep breaths. _Stay calm, stay calm._

“Shiro, you okay?” Keith said. “Are...you angry at me?”

Shiro shook his head as he rose. “No, definitely not angry at you,” he said and then shot a glare at the ceiling. “I am, however, angry at a certain robot who thought it was a fantastic idea to drag a kid, BY HIMSELF, INTO SPACE!”

Shiro heard his voice echo inside the lion. Keith blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but shut it suddenly. Shiro watched as the boy shut his eyes like he was listening to someone.

“Red says to tell you,” Keith said, slowly, “she had everything under control and she didn’t have any other choice.”

Shiro scowled. “I beg to differ,” he roared. “She could have left you on Earth, where someone could have taken care of you.”

Keith went silent for a moment again. “She says she can’t fly far without her paladin, and it would have been dangerous if we stayed.”

“Dangerous for her!’ Shiro argued. _I can’t believe I’m arguing with a robot lion!_

Keith’s eye began to twitch slightly. “She says, it would have been dangerous for me and- Hey! I am not calling him that!” Keith snapped.

Shiro folded his arms. “What did she call me?”

“Never you mind,” Keith grumbled. “Look, what’s happened happened, but point is for the last three years we’ve been flying around staying out of the Galra’s watch and I’m okay.”

Shiro was tempted to argue more, but decided it was best to drop the topic...for now at least.

“Alright, new question,” Shiro said in a more calm voice. “How on Earth did you find out I was on that transport ship?”

Keith then took a breath as he looked to Shiro. “I often go by myself to alien markets to get supplies and last couple of months I kept hearing gossip about a human champion in Zarkon’s fighting ring.”

Shiro forgot his anger as he blinked curiously. “You heard about me?”

“Never heard an actual name,” Keith continued, “but a couple of merchants who had passed through there commented that I looked a lot like the Champion and was curious on what alien race I was.” 

Shiro frowned as he looked over Keith’s slender build over his own large body. “We don’t look that much alike.”

“I’m thinking to aliens, humans look identical to each other,” Keith stated matter of factly.

“That’s..believable,” Shiro said as he folded his arms.

Keith shrugged. “Needless to say I got curious since I haven’t seen another human in a LONG time. So, when I heard that the Champion had been sent for ‘upgrades’ and was heading back to the ring, I wanted to take a chance of rescuing him or her.”

“And you found me,” Shiro said, slowly.

Keith nodded. “You were the last person I expected to see there,” he said softly. “I had Red run on autopilot to distract the ship long enough for me to sneak in and break you out.”

“That was a risky plan, Keith,” Shiro said gently. “I’m amazed we actually made it out alive.”

“Red said the same thing,” Keith said. “It took a lot of pleading to get her to agree to the plan in the first place, but I figured the Galra would be too occupied trying to figure out why or how one of the legendary lions was attacking their ship.”

“Can’t deny it did the trick,” Shiro replied.

Keith nodded as he stood up. “Okay, I need a drink and we need to get you some clothes,” he said as he lead the way. “And meanwhile, it’s your turn to explain to me how the hell you ended up as the Champion.”

Shiro gave a bitter laugh as he flexed his cybernetic arm. “That’s a long story.”

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Keith and Shiro managed to find some clothes in the base that would fit Shiro. The were a bit baggy and worn, but Shiro would gladly take them over the slave uniform he’d been wearing the last year.

Keith’s stomach than growled and reminded the both of them that they needed to eat, and thus lead Keith to rummage through his remaining food rations. Keith produced a plate of some kind of alien dried meat with some vegetables..at least Shiro thought they were vegetables.

“They’re a bit bland,” Keith explained as they sat down on the floor. “But they fill you up.”

Shiro didn’t need a lot of convincing to eat. After the disgusting gruel he had been forced to eat in prison, the small meager meal felt like a banquet. While they ate, Shiro told Keith how he ended up as a slave.

Keith was quiet as Shiro told his story, but the boy’s eyes widened when he mentioned they were asking about ‘a weapon’.

“They knew about Red?” Keith asked.

“They didn’t say so directly,” Shiro explained as he swallowed. “But I heard the word ‘Voltron’ several times and I was certain you and that giant lion had to have been part of it.” 

He gave a small smile. “Don’t worry, I managed to keep my mouth shut though.”

Keith didn’t look relieved. Truth be told, he looked like as if someone had just punched him in the stomach.

“Keith?” Shiro asked as he patted his shoulder.

“Oh, man,” Keith muttered, softly. “It’s my fault.”

Shiro frowned as he scooted over next to him. “What are you talking about?”

Keith sighed. “The Galra have been looking for Red and those other Lions for a long time.” He rubbed his neck as a guilty expression washed over his face. “I know Red’s been spotted by their ships a few times and they must have traced her trail back to Earth somehow.”

Shiro’s eyes widened as he understood. “And thus, were trying to figure out if she was still on Earth.”

Keith buried his face into his hands. “Shiro, I’m so sorry,” he replied. “The last thing I wanted was to involve you.”

Shiro gave a small smile as he wrapped an arm around Keith’s shoulders. “It is not your fault, Buddy,” he said. “Not in the least.”

Shiro would argue it was a certain gigantic cat’s fault, but now was not the time for another argument.

Keith lifted his head. “But..if it wasn’t for me-”

“Not your fault,” Shiro said firmly. “Okay? We’re not going to argue this.”

Keith looked doubtful, but he gave a small nod. “Alright, but Shiro there is something you should know.”

Shiro let go of Keith to look him in the eye. “What’s that?”

Keith drummed his fingers against his knee as if he was nervous on what Shiro’s reaction would be. “There’s...a second lion on Earth.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “What?”

“The Blue Lion,” Keith explained. “It was a fluke, but Red and Blue just both felt drawn to Earth and landed there to hide.”

Shiro’s jaw dropped, and ran a hand through his hair as he absorbed this information. “Oh boy, we should go back to Earth and get it before the Galra do.”

Keith shook his head. “No, I thought the same thing, but Red insists the Blue Lion is safe there.”

Shiro resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had a feeling he and Red had different interpretations on the word ‘safe’.

“The Blue Lion is deep, deep underground,” Keith continued, “and remember what I said earlier? Unless someone walks up and she decides that’s her paladin, she won’t activate it, and apparently Blue is VERY picky.”

“But that won’t stop the Galra from retrieving her,” Shiro replied.

Keith went quiet as he shut his eyes and then looked to Shiro. “Red says that since they thought Red was from Earth, they probably have no clue there was a second lion there. Like I said, it was a fluke that the two of them landed on Earth in the first place.”

Shiro leaned against his hands. “So, as far as Zarkon is concerned, Earth doesn’t have anything valuable for them.”

“At least for now,” Keith said as he leaned against the wall and fiddled with his food. “Speaking of Earth, I can fly you back home.”

All thoughts of the Blue Lion were tossed aside as Shiro looked to Keith.

“It will be tricky to do so without being seen,” Keith continued as he lowered his gaze, “but we can-”

“No, I’m staying with you,” Shiro stated in a clear tone.

Keith jumped and looked up in shock. “What? Shiro, no, you should go home.”

Shiro shook his head. “I won’t go back to Earth and there are three reasons why.”

Keith raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms with a challenging look. “Alright, what are they?”

Shiro held up three fingers. “One, I am ‘the Champion’ and therefore a now wanted person. If I go home, it will only be a matter of time before they track me there.” 

He switched to two fingers. “Second reason, I have to find Sam and Matt, the other people who got captured with me.”

There was no way Shiro could face Mrs. Holt and her daughter again without them. He had let them down by letting Sam and Matt be taken on his watch. Shiro swore he would get them back.

Keith looked less reluctant to argue, but still seemed tempted to debate. “And reason number three?”

Shiro switched to one finger and used it to poke Keith’s forehead. “I finally found you, and I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”

Keith looked a bit stunned as he rubbed his forehead, but his expression swiftly changed to a look of annoyance. “Shiro, I’m fine-”

“I’ve been worried sick about you,” Shiro shot back.

That seemed to take Keith off guard as he went quiet. “You..have?”

“I saw a giant lion fly you off to who knows where, and I had no idea if you were alive or dead, of course I was,” Shiro said as he reached for another vegetable. “Besides you’re way too young to be on your own.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Shiro, I’m 14 and I have been taking care of myself for three years.”

“No,” Shiro corrected firmly, “you’ve been lucky for three years.” He poked a finger at Keith’s chest. “There is no way I’m leaving you alone again. I’m staying with you to keep an eye on you.”

Keith opened his mouth, but then shut it and gave a loud groan. “Really?!” he growled. “You agree with him on THAT topic?!”

“Huh?” Shiro said as he tilted his head in confusion. 

Keith sighed as he gave a pout. “Apparently, Red agrees with all your reasons and also that having a ‘second pair of eyes’ on me would be useful.”

Shiro gave a small smirk. “Well, nice to know we can agree on something.”

Keith still kept a small pout, which only caused Shiro to chuckle and wrap an arm around the boy’s shoulders.

“It won’t be easy,” Keith argued softly. “We come to this base sometimes, but we do move around a lot.”

“After spending a year captured by aliens, that will be nothing,” Shiro said.

“And..eventually, Red is going to want to take me to that Castle of Lions,” Keith replied.

Shiro frowned slightly. His instinct was to fight that option with every fibre of his being since they had no idea what that place was like, but granted it might be the only way to fight Zarkon. Still, he was at least thankful Red agreed Keith was too young to be trained to fight, at least for now.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Shiro said. “We just need to focus one thing at a time.”

Keith gave a nod as he leaned into Shiro’s side. “Not going to lie...I did miss you a lot.”

“Me too, Kiddo,” Shiro said as he patted his head and smiled. “Me too.”

They stayed quietly as they ate the rest of their meal. It took a long time, but Shiro had found Keith again and he swore he wouldn’t lose him again, not if he could help it.


End file.
